Thursday, November 12, 2015

Notations On Our World: An #Outsider Newsflash as Fortune Names its' Businessperson of the Year

Our team just received word this morning that Fortune has named its' Businessperson of the Year--and it is the CEO of Nike.    The Fortune's Alan Murray shared his thoughts on his CEO Daily newsletter which we are pleased to share here and extend our congratulations and best wishes to him.

As we went to press, the rapid changes though in the Virtual World continue as Angie's List just got a $ 512 Million Dollar Offer from Barry Diller IAC.    Angie's List has been losing market share and as we went to press, was trading at near 52-Week Highs.     Our team is always interested in assessing what our brethren in the Virtual Space are contending it and we will continue to pursue this

We leave you with this from Alan Murray on the leadership primer to be embraced by all--an example of What Jim Collins called Level 5 Leadership:








November 12, 2015
CEO Daily readers did their best to identify Fortune's Businessperson of the Yearthis week, guessing Tim Cook (no. 4 on our list), Travis Kalanick (no. 8) and Elon Musk (Didn't make the top 20. Sorry, Elon.)

No one got it right. The introverted Mark Parker, CEO of Nike, has flown under the radar since taking over the shoe company in 2006. But his name jumped right to the top when we did our annual screening exercise, looking at 10 financial metrics - including 12-month and 36-month increases in profit and revenue, and total shareholder returns - as well as more qualitative measures such as business impact. In his time as CEO, Parker has doubled revenues, doubled profits, and grown his stock price six fold. "It's about time the media discovered Mark," says Phil Knight, the legendary co-founder of the sneaker company. "It's like, where have you been?" Our apologies, Phil.

Nike is emblematic of another important trend. Making shoes may be the second oldest business on earth, but Nike is doing it with cutting edge of technology, remaking its relationships with customers and suppliers in the process. It recently forged a relationship with Silicon Valley contract manufacturer Flex (formerly Flextronics) to bring high-tech manufacturing techniques to its suppliers in Asia. It is also exploring the use of 3-D printing to make custom shoes. Like every good business, Nike today is a technology business.

You can read Adam Lashinsky's fascinating story on this unsung business hero here, and you can read the full list of finalists for Businessperson of the Year here.


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

View of the Week (II): On Old Technologies & Other Thoughts On This Veterans Day 2015

On this Veterans Day 2015,  this retrospective was quite telling about how much of a transformation we've gone thru--and yet "the old" seems never wanting to die as visionaries continue to think of ways to create the vision of the possible.

As our team hope all enjoys this, it was interesting to us that Fidelity wrote down its' investment in Snapchat and Dropbox, two of the more interesting players in the "New Tech" Space.   Our team could not help but wonder whether it is a sign of things to come.

Happy Veterans Day and Armistice  Day!!!



Fortune Data Sheet By Adam Lashinsky
  
  

 
November 11, 2015
The story about the demise of the Sony Betamax caught my eye Tuesday afternoon. I’m old enough to remember the VCR format wars of the 1980s, and I thought Betamax video was long gone. Not so, reports Fortune’s Robert Hackett.
Although Betamax production peaked in 1984, amazingly Sony kept making the player/recorders until 2002. Apparently someone kept using them, because Sony has announced it will stop shipping the cassettes next year. They lasted 40 years, which isn’t bad for a failed product, especially one whose popularity peaked in the middle of the Reagan Administration.
That got me thinking about how hard it is to kill old technologies. I know almost no one who isn’t an investment banker that uses a BlackBerry. Yet that beleaguered company has a market capitalization of $4 billion. The heyday of the mainframe computer was the 1960s. Still, IBM not only continues to sell them, but it introduced a brand-new line earlier this year, the z13. “Built for the mobile era,” IBM brags about the system in its 2014 annual report, while also asserting that its mainframes “process 75% of the world’s business data.” The mainframe is part of a rapidly declining business at IBM, yet the company continues to invest heavily to reverse that trend.
Examples of graying technology that persevere abound. While reporting an upcoming feature in Fortune magazine about athletic footwear king Nike, I spoke to apparel analysts who praised Nike’s masterful use of SAP software to manage its global inventory and distribution system. SAP? Isn’t that the German company mocked in Silicon Valley for being hopelessly behind on the cloud, which is the hipper and more virtual way to deliver software services? I asked around and found out that yes, SAP is behind but no newfangled offering can hold a candle to SAP’s industrial-strength handling of physical-goods for companies like Nike.
The bright shiny objects of technology are exciting, new, and absolutely the future. But don’t count out the rusty old tech war horses just yet. They’re extremely difficult to kill.
***
An update: A day after Ericsson and Cisco announced the tie-up I wrote aboutTuesday, Ericsson held an investor day during which it lowered its financial guidance through 2018. Its shares fell more than 6%. The alliance announcedMonday was notable for not being a merger. Perhaps the Swedish company would have been better off selling itself to its Silicon Valley partner after all.
Adam Lashinsky
@adamlashinsky
adam_lashinsky@fortune.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Notations From the Grid: Sharing a Hero's Story On The Eve of This Veterans Day

As our team prepares to go "dark" for Veterans Day in the United States, we could not help but feature this story of courage and beauty that was featured on +TED that moved us as a team greatly:

More from TED.com


Aboard an overloaded ship carrying more than 500 refugees, a young woman becomes an unlikely hero. This powerful story, told by Melissa Fleming of the UN's refugee agency, gives a human face to the sheer numbers of human beings trying to escape to better lives ... as the refugee ships keep coming ... Watch »

View of the Week: On the True Possiblities

As a new day dawns, once again our team ran across a series of thoughts from +Jonathan Huie that truly moved us.     These series of thoughts goes not just to the heart of the essential mission of the "Visions" channel but also drives us as we continue to work on the broad mission of #Outsiders which we hope gives hope and a belief in the sense of the possible for all:





There are all kinds of futures.
There is a hoped-for future,
there is a feared future,
there is a predictable future,
and there is an unimagined future.
- Werner Erhard


Vision stands on the shoulders of what is actual
to get a better view of what is possible.
- Mary Anne Radmacher 


Our Founder passed this on that He saw on his personal Twitter Feed that was ever so timely as well: 




Enough Said!! :-) 

Monday, November 9, 2015

Notations From the Grid: On #Apple & the iPad Pro

Apple strikes again--and this is the latest from Australia courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald we just received here @ #Outsdiers:


Apple's iPad Pro will cost you

Apple announces Australian pricing and availability for its first proper two-in-one laptop-tablet.
Apple has apparently take a play out of microsoft's Playbook.     It wil be interesting to see how they "play it".   

On the Eve of A New Week here in #Outsiders....

Our team was on the prowl and wanted to share this which goes to the heart of the essence of the Vision of the Possible thanks to the efforts of +Jonathan Huie as we wish all a fabulous week:




Keep a grateful journal. Every night,
list five things you are grateful for.
- Oprah Winfrey

Gratitude is an attitude that
hooks us up to our source of supply.
The more grateful you are,
the closer you become to your maker,
to the architect of the universe,
to the spiritual core of your being.
- Bob Proctor 

Friday, November 6, 2015

Notations From the Grid: Thoughts on #leadership

We here @ #Outsiders consider +GovLoop one of our go-to sites as we continue our on-going engagement in areas of public policy.     We received this "snapshot" from them today on leadership which we wanted to report on for this edition of "Notations From the Grid"--and we hope to feature some of these as we work to launch the #Outsider book club over the ensuing months: 

Much like running, leadership is a skill you can get better at — and a skill you do need to practice. To become a better leader takes intention, thoughtful reflection, strategic personal goal setting, practice, and a whole lot of reading. To help you with the reading part, we’ve compiled some of our favorite leadership books, full of practical, inspiring, and even fun advice that applies to government leadership. 

The #Outsider Friday Musical Interlude: Nina Simone's "Here Comes The Sun"

Welcome to the Friday Musical Interlude here in #Outsider.   Our team chose Nina Simone as the "artist of the week" as we hope you enjoy Here Comes the Sun:

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Thought 4 the Week

As a  small "Virtual Token of Thanks", We wanted to share some "Thoughts 4 the Week" To Share:





Wednesday, November 4, 2015

An #Outsider Newsflash: #Rufus Cuff is Here!!!!

Our team has been "on the prowl" with something that blew us away from RufusLabs with this that is due to be relesaed: 

The Rufus Cuff a Wrist Communicator

It is bound to make things very interesting.   Please watch this space for further developments.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

An #Outsider newsflash: An update On one of our #Kickstarter Projects

We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the "C.H.I.P" and the team at Next Thing sent this out over Halloween Week-End that we thought was "kind of cute"..and we hope all enjoy!!!


Kickstarter

26

C.H.I.P. or Treat?
Posted by Next Thing Co.

DO YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES? 

https://vimeo.com/143960713
What horror boots within the ancient zip disk labeled'Occult Archives'?  That question burns inside the mind of Mr. Sharps, and when the NTC crew leaves the office early, he is no longer able to resist its call.  (special thanks toPro8mm)
WARNING:  Contents may blow your mind.WARNING: Contents may blow your mind.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

ヽ ( ⁰д⁰)ノ - all the zombies at NTC (especially Richard, Michael, and Mr. Sharps)
spooky links:      TWITTER       FORUM      DOCS      PRE-ORDER        ADDRESS CHANGE 
Ari wastes the last of the super 8 film.Ari wastes the last of the super 8 film.
All work and no play make C.H.I.P. a dull toy.All work and no play make C.H.I.P. a dull toy.



Monday, November 2, 2015

On the Prowl in "Tech": On he Evolution of HP (An #Outsider Special)

As we are witness to changes in Tech (Dell Buying EMC, etc.), we are also seeing further transformation as HP is splitting itself into two companies.     Our team received this this weekend as this new "milestone" is before us.  It was also of curious interest as we saw a report on Mrs. Whitman endorsing Chris Christie for US President as she declined to endorse Carly Fiornia, one of her predecessors.    It was to repay a political debt as Christie campaigned feversihly for her as she ran for Governor and lost to Jerry Brown.  We find it rather interesting that what she felt was good for he is not necessarily good for Carly Fiornia.

On behalf of all of us, we wish her and the new HP Enterprises much success:


The chance to reinvent a Fortune 50 company doesn't come around often. Buttomorrow we will make history when we launch Hewlett Packard Enterprise—a new company that will help customers use technology to quickly turn ideas into reality.
To coincide with the launch of our new company, today we are also launching a special edition of HP Matter—now HPE Matter—that focuses entirely on what's next for businesses—including yours. 
The world is moving faster than ever, and it's no secret that technology is driving that speed. In every industry, IT strategy is now business strategy. And, winners and losers are decided by how quickly they can adapt to stay ahead in this exciting race. 
See how the new Hewlett Packard Enterprise will help organizations transform to stay ahead of the competition in this short film:
Welcome to the Idea Economy
I hope the content in this issue will inspire you to dream big and get more from technology. Because the next chapter in your company's story is ready to be written. The next industry is ready to be created. The next breakthrough is ready to be discovered. And there's no time to wait.
Together, let's go further, faster.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Notations For the Week-End: An Eye on Artifical Intelligence......

Artificial Intelligence is evolving and changing.     For this edition of "View of the Week" here, we hope all enjoy this courtesy of @TED:

PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK

Keeping an eye on artificial intelligence

Computers are being taught to learn, reason and even recognize human emotions. In these talks, look for insights -- as well as warnings. Watch »
7 TED Talks • Total run time 1:37:53

Friday, October 30, 2015

Notations From the Grid (W-End Edition): 9 Inspiring Malala Quotes | United Nations Foundation (W/Updated Comments)



It has been a challenging weekend yet again in our World as our team has been assessing the on-going developments.  As our founder was gracious enough to grant us a reprieve for Halloween, the work continues as underscored by the curations we worked on and will continue to work on:





We have also been on the "prowl" as we ran across this which we hope is embraced:




Onward with the new month & all its' possiblities!!


The Friday Musical Interlude: Modern Talking's 100 Years


It is Friday here in #Outsiders as we present the Friday Musical Interlude.   For this week, our team "dug back" to choose Modern Talking as the Artist of the week as we hope all enjoy 100 years.   

On behalf of all of us here # Outsiders, we wish all in the United States a safe and happy Halloween!!!


Thursday, October 29, 2015

Notations From the Grid: On #Service & #Success

We here @ #Outsiders are always on the prowl for ideas to share as we work on creating a repistory of ideas for achieving the ultimate vision of the possible.     As we reviewed the weekly "Verne's Insight" (one of a number of must reads for our entire team), we wanted to share excerpts here for this edition of "Notations from the Grid":

Ron Kaufman's Uplifting Service -- Here is a 4 minute interview with Ron Kaufman, author of Uplifting Service. The guru that helped Singapore become known for customer service, Ron shares a simple definition of service that makes it very operational (2:25 into the video) and reminds us that outstanding customer service is a key way to de-commoditize the business. FYI, our next Summit is May 24 - 25, Atlantawith an optional May 26 Rockefeller Habits 2.0 user conference. 

Mark Cuban's 12 Keys to Success -- 
capping off our Growth Summit was an unscripted hour with Mark Cuban. My favorite insight, when asked about his biggest failure and the lessons learned, he thought for a moment and then noted that he's failed a lot - and the one thing in common with all his failures is "thinking he was too smart." Leaders must continue to listen and learn, something Mark does by being a voracious reader and making it a point to sit in the cheap seats and talk with fans. Here's a link to 12 more practical tips from Mark, succinctly captured in Kevin Daum's Tuesday Inc. column - it's worth the 2 minutes to scan his bullet points. 


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Notations From the Grid: An Interesting Take On Creating the Vision of the Possible

Our team ran across this very provocative idea on the Grid while we were continuing our on-going daily assessment--it is quite a question to think about which we will pursue further as part of the mission of the "Visions" channel here in #Outsiders to deliberate the roadmap to "A Vision of the Possible": 



The idea of 12 years of free education is quite enticing.   The question is whether the courage is there.  It is quite a thought.


Monday, October 26, 2015

Notations From the Grid: A "Thought 4 the Week"

Our team had a debate this morning on what ultimately makes a "vision of the possible" truly possible.    It begins with us--and reflected upon it as we saw this from the great Carl Jung which we wanted to report on:


“Your visions will become clear
only when you can look into your own heart.
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”




Onward to the new Week!!!!

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Notations For the W-End: On the Eve of a New Week....

We wanted to share this from The International Space Station as we wish all a great night from here in Southern California and a fabulous Week: